Tomorrow is my last day as a student teacher. I passed all my reviews, tests, and classes, and my hours are all in. The parting will be bitter sweet.

I am relieved to be through with one of the animation programs we teach – mostly because the students ask all these questions about it, and I don’t know a thing about how the program works. I’ve never done the lessons myself. I don’t know the shortcuts.

I am also happy to be rid of a few obnoxious students that I’ve had the “pleasure” to meet. They are the kids that make you think “Gosh I hope you grow up before you become a member of society,” or “Really? That’s the choice you want to make?” To be honest, those kids are the kids I sometimes just ignore completely – unless they are disturbing the class. There’s just no use fighting with them. I don’t need the high blood pressure.

But I am sad that I may not get to see the final films that my 1st and 2nd period classes are creating. Some of them have great ideas, and I would love to see them through fruition. But I also know from TAing that semester in college, that many of those films will disappoint. But the ones that are delightful will make up for the less than stellar ones. Maybe I can get them all youtubed.

Even more, though, I am sad/annoyed that I have to give up directing the 3rd period film. It’s been a blast. It’s a perfect fit for me. I get to tell kids what to do, they actually do it – cause they are enjoying the film’s plot, and I don’t have to know how to do it. I know what it should look like. What it should feel like, and what it should get across, but I don’t know how to make it happen. Sounds just like anyone in management, right? The film has a great story line, and we’ve created it from scratch. Characters, models, sets, sounds, all of it our own creation. We even got together with the acting department for voice tallent. There really isn’t enough time left in the semester to truly complete the film, but is there ever? I’m still pushing for something. I’m even planning to come back a couple of days next week just to meet with the group. I can’t let go. I don’t want to!

That’s going to be the hardest part. I will never know how the movie ends. I hate that. I’ll even sit through terrible films (any one see The Assassination of Jesse James?) to see how they end.

Oh, and I’m going to miss the little MacBook laptop that I’ve been loaned. Who ever thought I’d be a MacFan?